Enlightenment
by Maria656
Summary: My answer to Shywriter's challenge at the Blah, Blah, Woof, Woof forum here.What lead up to Bling finding out about Max? early ML but not romantic. Now Complete
1. Chapter 1

Enlightenment

by Maria656

Disclaimer- I do not own Dark Angel, nor am I making any money from this.

This is solely for my personal amusement, and hopefully that of others. Since I'm not getting paid, reviews are a nice token of appreciation ;-)

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timeline-Between Heat and Flushed

Answer to Shywriter's challenge at the Blah, Blah, Woof, Woof forum here.

_What lead up to Bling finding out about Max?_

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"Are you high? If you didn't know already I wouldn't have told you, and now you want me to let someone else in? Original Cindy and Kendra don't even know and they're my best friends."

"Hear me out Max. I want you to stay safe too. I have done a full background check on Bling. They don't come any more dependable than him. He doesn't even have a parking ticket. He served in the Coast Guard and has martial arts and weapons training, though granted, not like you. Besides physical therapy he is a trained medic and physician's assistant, so he could help if you have a medical problem, plus he can write scripts so he can get you the Tryptophan. I wouldn't have let him in on Eyes Only and the Informant Net if I didn't think he was trustworthy."

"Logan, your secrets are a bit different than mine. What if Mr. Upright-Straight-Arrow thinks I ought to be turned in for the good of the country or something like that?" Max starts pacing.

"I don't believe he would do that."

"Well I can't risk my life and freedom for your beliefs."

"What if we just discuss Manticore without bringing you into? Like it's just something else I'm investigating. If Bling seems weirded out by it, we end it there and tell him nothing. But if he seems sympathetic, you consider telling him the rest." Max looks at Logan like he has just grown another head. "Just consider it Max. I would like you to have some back up in case something happens to me."

Max grabs her coat and puts in on. "Next time you decide to do drugs, spend a little extra and get the good crack. I'm out." She storms out and slams the door.

Logan rolls his eyes and mutters to himself, "That went _well_."

Max is in the Space Needle restaurant, trying to calm herself doing tai chi and thinking.

_Logan must have lost his mind, telling someone else I barely know. I _will_ be talking to Bling, but it will be to find out if Logan is on any medication that might be messing with his head, or if he has a brain injury besides the SCI. I'm risking enough exposure already. Just missed Lydecker by a hair with Hannah. Might not have without Logan's help though ... Bling seems like a great guy; he takes excellent care of Logan ... still don't mean I gotta spill my guts. Even if he promises not to tell anyone, he'll never look at me the same. It'll be awkward at best, or worse, he'll be scared of me and maybe even not want to work Logan anymore and he needs Bling ... _

_Logan ... he thinks with those blue eyes and 14 gigawatt smile will just charm the pants off a girl ... He'd have a better shot at getting into my pants than getting me to tell my secrets. _Max switches from tai chi to some shadow sparring_. But, as he said 'we're not like that' so no need holding my breath on that topic ... Still, it's getting harder to get Tryptophan. If something happened, especially if Logan wasn't around, it would be good to have someone with some medical training for back up ... not that any medical training would have covered me and the sibs. _She smiles to herself._ Maybe I'll consider doing what Logan said, bring up Manticore without talking about myself to test his reaction. If he seems sympathetic maybe I'll tell Bling a bit more ... Still, can't let His Holiness think he won so easily. Gotta let him sweat it out – won't tell him till tomorrow._

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Enlightenment pt2

by Maria656

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How is Bling told and how does he react and process the information?

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Disclaimer: My Ownership of DA is like 7up--Never had it, never will.

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Max goes to the penthouse after work and finds Logan in the kitchen, stirring a pan filled with heavenly smelling things.

"Smells good - got enough to share?"

Logan jumps at the sound of her voice, but manages not to drop the spatula he is holding. "Sure Max. How's Shrimp Scampi over angel hair pasta sound?"

"Sounds like you won't have any leftovers."

Max pours the wine Logan has out while he dishes up the meal. They chat casually about their day through dinner and cleaning up. As they are finishing the wine and playing a game of chess, Max broaches the topic of their previous discussion.

"So ... if we were to talk to Bling – and I'm not saying I agree yet ... how would you suggest going about it?" Max makes no eye contact with Logan, but she is unusually preoccupied with her wine glass.

Logan realizes that she is taking a huge step in even entertaining the possibility of a conversation. He continues to study the chess board as he begins to speak. "I really do have the anonymous report from an informant that I told you about. I could just tell him about that and feel him out. Everything we discuss relating to informants and Eyes Only is automatically held in confidence – that was a condition of him being hired. After telling him a little about the program, I could mention that some escaped and see his reaction to that. You can judge his reactions and decide from there. Most people are sympathetic to the abuse and mistreatment of children."

"Maybe, but I'm not a kid anymore. What if he is sympathetic when it is an abstract idea of 'some' children, but it changes when he is in a room with one of them? What if he doesn't want to work with me anymore and wants to quit? You need him. I would feel awful if I messed that up for you."

"I think you are underestimating Bling. Like I told you, he's a good guy or he wouldn't be here. We have had our share of unusual cases and he has handled things well." Max rolls her eyes at him. "Okay, granted, nothing as unusual as you, but he has worked with you and he knows that you help me, so that should carry some weight. I'm not saying he may not have to get a grip on it, but I don't think he would be that prejudiced. He has always been very open-minded and tolerant when we have discussed various problems with different groups being mistreated for assorted reasons. He has been cool with the fact that some things we do in the name of Eyes Only has outside of the current laws." Logan pauses and notes the myriad of expressions crossing Max's face. "I think it will be okay Max."

"What if he gives me that look?"

"What look?"

"That look like when you taste bad food – like I repulse him ... I couldn't stand that."

"I can't promise, but I don't think Bling will be like that."

"So ... when do we do this?" Max asks hesitantly.

"Come around the next time he's working. We'll handle it."

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The next afternoon, Max arrives at the penthouse when she finishing her shift at Jam Pony. "I hope you have somethin' to eat in here 'cause my slave driver of a boss had us working overtime. I skipped lunch so I could get done sooner." She rounded the corner to find Logan and Bling at the computer. She gets an uneasy feeling, but covers it with a casual smile. "What's up kids?"

"Hey Max," Bling responds with a smile.

"Hey Max," Logan adds. "I was just telling Bling about the information I shared with you ... you know, the one about the kids in that covert government program?"

"Right. How much have you been told Bling?"

"Just that there was a covert government military operation that genetically engineered groups of children and then trained them as perfect soldiers. My informant tells me that a dozen escaped in '09 and so far it looks like the program has stopped since the Pulse; else they are so far underground I haven't found any signs of it."

Bling shakes his head in disbelief. "What kind of twisted minds would do that to children? I'm surprised more didn't run away. Military training is hard enough for grown folks. Does he say what happened to any of them?"

"No," Logan answered, looking at Max. He signals to her that she should take it from there if she wants.

Max's face is blank but she is nervous. Either decision she makes will change everything. She looks at Bling and then at Logan and sighs. In a soft voice she says, "One of them came to Seattle and hooked up with an underground cyberjournalist." She looks at Bling, biting her lip. _Now any second will come 'the look' and he will suddenly need to be elsewhere_, she thinks.

Bling looks at Max, then Logan, and back to Max again. _That explains a lot_ , he thinks. _I wondered why Logan would send a young woman on some of these assignments on her own, but I just presumed some kind of law enforcement or military background. I guess I wasn't so far off_. "May I ask you a question, Max?" he asks gently.

Max looks at him and arches an eyebrow, indicating he should go ahead.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Max decides to give him the short version. "I'm basically okay. A minor neurochemical problem in my brain, but I manage. Besides the training which was brutal, they also used us for experiments – how fast would our bones heal if they were broken, how long could we hold our breaths underwater, how would different chemical and biological weapons act on us and how could they tweak us to be even better."

"What made you decide to escape?"

"It wasn't my idea. My brother, Jack, had severe seizures one night and was taken away. I wandered around later that night and saw them doing an autopsy on him. I had started having minor shakes and my big brother, Zack, and my big sister, Eva, decided we needed to leave before they took me away. They started to take me away one night when I was having a seizure, but Zack and Eva attacked the guards and Eva grabbed a gun off one of them. They were leading the group out when Colonel Lydecker shot Eva in the head. We were sent back to our room and it was decided we would go out of the window. My sister Jondy helped me out. Zack split us up and we ran. I got separated from Jondy when I fell through some ice--I never saw any of them again. I didn't know how many even managed to get out until Logan said he had heard that twelve escaped. That's kinda how we hooked up; he offered to help me find them if I helped him with his little crusades," Max finished with a slight smile. Bling didn't look totally horrified; he just looked like he was processing information. "Say something."

Bling knew there was more to this story than he is being told, but he has heard enough for now. It was hard to hear all of this information and process what the informant was telling them and the Max he had worked with. He knew that she kept tabs on Logan while he was in the hospital and in rehab. He knew she saved his life in the hospital. He knew to some extent the work she did with Logan and Eyes Only. A total conscience-free killer wouldn't do that, so either she learned when she was young how to get by or the reports weren't accurate. He also knew that Logan trusted her. _Not like the government hasn't lied to promote it's own agenda before. I just need time to think_. "I'm guessing they looked for you and are probably still looking for you?"

"Oh yeah. I learned early on how to blend in and lay low. That undercover training they gave us came in handy for something; just not for what they had in mind."

"Max, I've never lied to you and I'm not going to start now, This is a lot of information to take in. I just need some time to think. You have done good work with Eyes Only and Logan trusts you, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. This is just a bit much to wrap my head around."

"Do you want to ask me anything else?"

"Not yet. After I process this I may have a few more questions. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Bling gets his duffel bag and heads for the door. Max catches him before he leaves. "Wait." She goes to touch his arm, but stops herself before she does. "You'll still stay here and work for Logan right? I mean, if there is a problem, you won't leave him? He needs you."

Bling puts a hand gently on Max's shoulder. "Max, I won't leave him. I'm not scared or upset; I just need to think. I'm not going to turn you in or quit working for Logan. I give you my word. You do have to admit that I got some mind-boggling information tonight, and since all of our safety is involved as well as that of my family, it's not out of the ordinary for me to consider what I've gotten myself into. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Thank you, Bling. See you tomorrow." Bling leaves and Max goes back to Logan.

"Are you okay, Max?"

"Sure, I'm fine. Aren't I always?"

"Max-"

"Hey, it's no big dealio. I'll get by like I always do; at least he didn't give me 'the look' and he said he wouldn't turn me in. That puts me ahead of the game already. Thanks for dinner and I'll see you tomorrow."

Logan sighs and goes to his spot in front of the window, wondering what would happen next in the saga of his life.

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In his car, Bling calls Maria. "Hey, Precious. Are you busy?"

"Not for you. What's up?"

"I need to see you tonight."

"Come on over. I'll be up. Are you hungry? I can heat up some dinner."

"No, I just need you. See you in a bit."

"Drive safely."

When Bling arrives at Maria's house, he greets her with a hug and kiss. She pulls him inside and he takes her into his arms and holds her close, not even bothering to take his jacket off. Maria realizes something is wrong, but she just waits for him to talk, holding him and caressing his head. After a few moments, Bling releases her and kisses her gently on the mouth. "Boy, did I need that." They sit on the sofa with their arms around each other.

"Do you want some tea?" Maria just wants Bling to relax enough to talk to her; she can tell he's upset.

"Thanks, Sweetie, but no."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I wish I could, but it's not my story to tell. I just got some surprising news and I need to wrap my head around it. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"I'm fine, I just wish I could help you."

"You are, Maria. Just by being here." Bling kisses her again, gently caressing her face.

"Do you ... want to stay?" Maria asks shyly. They hadn't gotten that far in their relationship, but it felt right when she said it.

"Yes, Precious, but I won't. When I stay, I want to be totally focused on you, not distracted by the chaos in my life. Let me just hold you a little longer and then I'll go ... Tell me about your day."

They talk about the rest of their day, at least the part that didn't include government conspiracies. After sharing a cup of tea and some kisses, Bling leaves for home.

_Max ... a trained special forces soldier ... make that genetically engineered super soldier ... unbelievable. But now she's trying to be a 'regular' girl – works for a living, has ordinary friends, plays pool and rides a motorcycle. Other than the less-than-legal way she supplements her income, and now working with Logan – which can sometimes be outside of the current legal system, she's been basically a good kid; heaven knows people have been pushed to do some things they might not have ordinarily done since the Pulse. She helps and protects Logan and he trusts her like he trusts me. He certainly doesn't seem scared of her; judging by the looks she was giving him when she came in from her last assignment, the only threat she poses is a romantic one, not that Logan would even allow it. _Bling chuckled at the thought_. He couldn't even handle the 'talk', he certainly wouldn't believe that Max, or any other woman, is interested in him. Since everything seems to be weighing in her favor, I'm going to bet on Max. If she had wanted to hurt me she would have done it already ... She mentioned a neurochemical imbalance in her brain – wonder what that is and how she's managing. Maybe that's why she steals things; medicine can't be cheap. I'd better write down what I want to ask her. I feel less agitated now._

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A/N-There is one, and possible two, more chapters to this. The characters tend to decide where my stories go and sometimes they would rather run off with each other instead of talking to me. guess you can't blame them; B with those yummy pecs and biceps and L with the eyes in the cute little glasses – no wonder the girls can't help themselves ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

Enlightenment pt. 3

by Maria656

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disclaimer: as before

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What does Bling say to Max and what happens next?

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Previously on Enlightenment:

_... Since everything seems to be weighing in her favor, I'm going to bet on Max. If she had wanted to hurt me she would have done it already ... She mentioned a neurochemical imbalance in her brain – wonder what that is and how she's managing. Maybe that's why she steals things; medicine can't be cheap. I'd better write down what I want to ask her. I feel less agitated now._

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Bling jots a few notes down and then does some Tai Chi to settle himself before bedtime. Between Max's revelation and Maria's offer to spend the night, he was not his usual calm, cool and collected self. _Logan would never let me live it down_, he thought. _And Maria - she is something else too . I would love to stay with her, I'm glad that she made the decision and I'm looking forward to making love with her, but tonight really wasn't the time. She deserves my full attention and that wasn't going to happen today. _ Bling made a mental note to plan another night for them ... and soon.

_Max really couldn't control how she was raised, but she can and does control how she has lived her life since and she has done well considering she's had no guidance whatsoever. And she had to do all this while looking over her shoulder the whole time. It's a wonder she's made it as well as she has. Poor kid. Well I won't say _that_ to her. To me, she's done an admirable job._

_Enough about that for now. I'll talk to her tomorrow and figure out the rest._

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Next day at Logan's apartment, Bling comes to do his workout.

"Hey Bling. There are cheese blintzes in the oven and the sauce is keeping warm on the double boiler if you're interested."

"Maybe after your workout. Thanks though."

"Well don't blame me if Max gets to them first and you don't get any."

"I'll risk it. I need to make sure you get done you're workout, else you'll stall and try to get out of it."

"Not me." Bling rolls his eyes and gets Logan going through his paces. Just as they are finishing up Max walks in.

"Hey kids, what's up?" She tosses her bag on the counter and grabs a pear from the bowl.

"Hey Max. We're almost done here. I made cheese blintzes if you want some while we finish up," Logan offers.

"I don't know what they are but I'll never turn down food from Chez Cale," she says with a smile.

"They're in the oven and the sauce for them is on the stove. If you can save one for Bling."

Max laughs. "I'm not making any promises, but I would hurry if I were you Bling." She goes into the kitchen.

Logan and Bling continue working when they hear an excited yell, "Cherry sauce! Definitely better hurry up in there". The guys laugh as they finish the workout, then Logan follows Bling into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Just in time – I hadn't got to the last two blintzes yet," Max said around a mouthful of food. "Want me to get you a plate?"

"Sure, Max. Appreciate it," Bling replies as he washes his hands. He takes the plate she offers and dishes up the blintzes and sauce, then sits with them at the table.

"So, is it time for the Inquisition?" Max asks dryly.

"I wouldn't call it that, Max," Bling replies gently. "I wanted to ask about your health first. You mentioned a neurochemical problem – how does it affect you? Are you alright?"

Max looks at Logan before answering. She was wondering how much to tell Bling; she's trying to cooperate but she doesn't want to freak him out more than necessary. Logan nods his head and she takes a deep breath before starting. "I have a serotonin deficiency which causes seizures. I take tryptophan to try to keep it under control, but sometimes I hit a rough spot when it doesn't help much and sometimes I can't get enough to keep the seizures under control."

"That can't be good, especially with driving a bike for a living."

"No; makes it harder to jump ten stories and land on my feet too, but I avoid that if I'm having a particularly bad time of it. Fortunately, that's not too often. It makes it hard to keep a low profile if it messes with my job or my roommate sees me."

"Does anyone besides us know any of this?"

Max shakes her head quickly. "Not even my roommate or my best friend. We met shortly after the Pulse, so it wasn't uncommon for people to play things close to the vest. We look out for each other and they will cover for me if I'm 'sick', but they don't know the details. I couldn't bear it if they were disgusted by me or worse, turned me in."

Bling pauses a moment, taking it all in. "Well, I can't think of a polite way to put this so I'm just going to put it out there. What did they do to you and what can you do?"

Max's eyes get big, and she inhales sharply. _I guess blunt is easier to deal with. Now I just have to figure out what to say without totally creeping him out._ "The folks at Manticore decided to build a better mousetrap, or soldier. They figured if they could take the genes for different specialized skill that were unique to different species, say, cats landing on their feet, or eagles sharp vision, or shark's not sleeping, and mix them with some superior human DNA, like Einstein's intelligence or Churchill's diplomacy , they could get a better human out of it. Or mostly human, as the case may be. The idea was that if they had a smarter, faster, stronger soldier, there would be less casualties. What they didn't count on was the fact that they weren't God. So they didn't make perfect creations. They didn't plan on side effects of not getting the gene sequences precisely right – they didn't think about the fact that sleeping is when your body regulates a lot of things, like serotonin production, or that while landing on your feet may be a plus, there are other quirks about cats that you may not want reproduced – who needs a soldier cleaning himself when there is a battle going on?" _No need to tell him about heat yet._

(totally OT, but did anyone notice that in the first heat episode, when M is in the bar she is kinda panting over every male there, but when she gets to the PH with B and L she is only focused on L?)

"Fortunately that was fixed before they were going to inflict us on the world. Didn't want to draw more attention to the secret ops than needed. Anyway, I can run really fast, jump extremely high and still land on my feet, I have superior vision and hearing, am stronger than most men, and I have a high pain threshold. I also have superior brain function: memory, reaction times and coordination, reflexes, learning and communication skills. I'm a real hoot at parties," she finished wryly.

A lot of things were going on in Bling's mind, most of them unable to be voiced in mixed company. _Inhuman monsters – the creators, not the kids. No wonder she always has that tense, guarded look most of the time. She probably has some extremely heinous people after her_.

Looking at both Max and Logan, Bling asked, "Are we taking enough precautions for everyone's safety? Ourselves, the other informants, our families? I don't mean to sound selfish, but I have my family and Maria to be concerned about."

Max looked at Logan and Bling noticed the frown that crossed her face. "That's one thing I can't control or figure out. I worry about my friends, but so far nothing has happened. I take every precaution possible, and take care to avoid the other operatives to limit their exposure. But nothing is 100 safe."

"Continue to take the usual precautions, especially when dealing with your family and Maria," Logan added. "I'll be cautious on my end as well, but I don't think that it will be any more dangerous with Max than it already was before. One plus about Max's background is that she is very highly trained, which makes her an asset to us, and the people hunting her trained her so she knows how they think and work, so she can protect herself and us."

"Plus, if it were to get really hot around here, I would just leave for parts unknown. That's the other reason why I haven't let my friends in on this – if someone were to ask them they truthfully don't know the answers; the government is big on plausible deniability."

Logan wasn't too happy to hear about Max's plans to run even though he could understand why. _I guess the mature thing to do would be to help her and make it easier and safer for her. I could at least give her some emergency money and some addresses to safe houses and some convincing papers in case she wanted to go to Canada or Mexico_. Logan was relieved that Bling seemed to be okay with what he had learned about Max. _I hope Max feels relieved. Bling is a great man_. "Bling, I would also add that you may want to be prepared to evacuate if the need arises, you and Maria both. I can get an ID and papers made for her as well."

"I appreciate it man," Bling replies. "I will only tell her the minimum about my involvement in Eyes Only and I won't tell her about you, Max. Unless you want me to some time later. She worked as an EMT to put herself through midwife training so she could be helpful in a crisis."

"Let's hold off for now – I've done enough exposing my soul for one week." Max perched on the chair with her feet in the seat. She felt completely whipped; physical combat was way easier than the emotional. _At least Bling took it well; I didn't get 'the look' and he seems okay so far. I wish I could figure out something for him and Maria. Maybe I'll 'visit' the gourmet shop after hours - someone should get to have some fun; after all _'we don't have that kind of relationship'. _ Every other straight, unattached [and frankly even some that are attached male takes notice when I'm around, but this one, unless it's EO business – nothing. I hope Maria and Bling appreciate one another._

"Max?" Logan is looking at her expectantly, apparently waiting for a reply.

_Fine time to ignore the parallel processing. He said something about new ID?_ "I'm sorry I zoned out a minute - could you repeat please?"

"I said did you want me to have new ID made for you when I get the papers for Bling?"

"Sure thing. Thanks for thinking of it. I'm gonna jet now, but I can pick up the papers tomorrow or whenever they are ready."

"I'll page you, " Logan calls as she heads for the door.

Bling was still in the kitchen, finishing his coffee. Logan notes the thoughtful look on his face. "What's on your mind Bling?"

"Just processing," Bling replies. "I don't know why I'm surprised at what the government does behind the people's back. But it is hard to believe that they would create them and then torture and try to kill them, if only for the financial investment alone. It's also amazing that they didn't fight back. The kids were way stronger than their trainers."

"The advantage the government had was that the kids didn't know what was out there and didn't know what they were missing. If Max hadn't gotten sick and the others become worried about her safety, they would probably still be there. In a way Manticore caused it; if they hadn't drilled into them that they were brothers and sisters and to look out for each other, they might not have escaped."

"Very ironic." Bling walks to the foyer and grabs his duffel bag. "I'm gonna head out man. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you Bling."

When Bling reaches his car, he notices what looks like a large bag on his hood from a distance. When he gets closer, he sees that it is a wrapped basket filled with very expensive gourmet foods. He read the attached note "Take your girl on a picnic. M" He got a big smile on his face. _I guess this means I'll be planning that evening with Maria sooner than I thought_. Bling dials his cell phone. "May I speak with Maria Cabrera please? Yes I'll hold."

"Maria Cabrera speaking."

"Hey Precious."

Maria gets a big grin on her face when she hears Bling's voice. "Hey Handsome. How's it going? Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I'm better."

"Glad to hear it. I hate to rush you but I have a baby due anytime – did you call for a reason or did you just want to say 'Hey'?"

"I had a reason. Are you free after work?"

"Absolutely. What's the plan?"

"Dress for a picnic."

"Are you forgetting where we live Babe? Are you providing an Ark or some other rain-proof shelter?"

"Trust me Precious, you will be fine. The only place you will get wet is my shower, if you so desire." Bling hears Maria gasp. "Plan for overnight, please. You can have my room and I'll take the den." He didn't want to pressure her.

"... I wouldn't put you out of your room ... we could share ..."

_God I love this woman_. "We'll play it by ear – you don't need to decide now. Love you Precious."

"Love you too Bling. I'll see you tonight."

_Things are definitely better_.

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The End

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A/N: Sorry for the delay – a bit harder to get a reliable Internet connection now that I'm in the Last Frontier. If you enjoyed, review; if you didn't, lie to me :-)


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